Avalanche (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

to the front of her chest and twisted the tresses with her fingers. “The out-of-date safe technology allows for only one combination. Newer models have a unique number for each person, but we weren’t allocated the budget to upgrade. With the existing model, it’s impossible to determine who opened the safe last.”
     
    * * *
     
    Turner edged Constable Wagner out of his way and entered the finance center. “I told you to let me know when the RCMP arrived,” he snapped at Kalin.
    Everyone in the room stood.
    Miller stepped between Turner and Kalin. She’d worked with him previously on an arson and a murder case, and he’d earned her respect. She didn’t mind his alpha male instinct to protect her, especially now when she hovered on the edge of control.
    Without making an issue of Turner’s raised voice, Kalin introduced him to Miller and Wagner.
    “Did one of our employees do this?” Turner asked.
    Miller straightened, giving Turner the full force of his presence. Kalin could almost smell the testosterone.
    “I can’t say yet, but it does look like someone who knew the combination opened the safe.” Miller’s eyes darted to Helen, and had Kalin not been watching him, she would have missed the gesture.
    Turner stepped toward Helen and loomed inches from her. “Unless the safe wasn’t locked last night.”
    “I locked it.” Helen stepped backward and bumped into her desk. “I never leave without making sure it’s properly secured. I remember flipping the handle closed and entering the combination last night.”
    “So you say.”
    An uneaten doughnut and a cup of coffee occupied the corner of the desk. Helen must have noticed Turner staring because she threw the doughnut into the garbage and placed the coffee out of sight on the bookshelf.
    Turner’s cell buzzed against his hip, but he ignored the interruption.
    Answer it . What if it was about Roy?
    Helen intertwined her fingers in front of her skirt and turned to Jessica. “Won’t you tell them I’m careful?”
    Jessica looked at Turner with her eyes half closed as if she didn’t care and shrugged.
    “What’s the next step?” Turner asked.
    Kalin opened the window a crack, thinking the air would dissipate the distinctive odor of stress.
    Helen lowered her head and glanced at Kalin while biting her fingernails. Helen wasn’t built for this kind of pressure. If Kalin were alone with her, she might have reached over and hugged her.
    Miller moved beside Turner and glanced out the window. “No access this way without a ladder. I’ll have an officer check for marks in the snow.”
    Turner nodded.
    “The doors haven’t been damaged, and there’s no sign of a break-in. Who has both the combination to the safe and a key to the office?” Miller asked.
    “Four of us. Duncan Bosey. He’s the director of accounting. Myself, Helen, and Eric Wilson. He’s a junior clerk,” Jessica said.
    “Not you?” Miller asked Turner.
    “I don’t need either the combination or the keys. I don’t do clerical work.”
    “Is the combination written down anywhere?” Miller asked Jessica.
    “I keep it in a spreadsheet on my computer. Usually I change it weekly, so I need to record it somewhere.”
    “Who has access to the spreadsheet?”
    “Only me,” Jessica said. “It’s password protected as is access to my computer. The clerks have to ask me if they forget the number.”
    “You said usually you change the combination weekly. When did you last change it?”
    Kalin had missed the significance of Jessica’s earlier statement and smiled at Miller’s attention to detail.
    “Answer the man,” Turner said.
    Jessica sighed. “Early December.”
    “What are you talking about?” Turner closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “You’re supposed to change it every week.”
    “I know,” Jessica said. “We were so busy over Christmas, it got overlooked.”
    “Let’s worry about that later. Are you sure no